Tallawahs qualify for play-offs

A superb spell of fast bowling from 20 year old Oshane Thomas led Jamaica Tallawahs to a 41 run victory against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Match 26 of the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Thomas dismissed key batsmen Chris Gayle, Carlos Brathwaite and Mohammad Nabi in four hostile overs that ensured the Tallawahs defended 158 which guarantees their qualification for the play-off stage.

Having dismissed Gayle and Brathwaite, Thomas claimed his third crucial wicket in his last over when he snared Nabi caught and bowled as he rushed him with another quick short ball. The Patriots last hopes were extinguished when Krishmar Santokie took two wickets in two balls: Hafeez superbly caught by Foo at long off and Ben Hilfenhaus was flummoxed by a low-arm slower ball.

The Patriots were eventually dismissed for 116 after another good piece of fielding brought a run out and Santokie took his third wicket to finish with remarkable figures of 3 for 10 from 3.5 overs.

Earlier in the evening after being put into bat the Tallawahs lost Lendl Simmons to the first ball of the innings - brilliantly bowled by left-armer Sheldon Cottrell from over the wicket. The Patriots kept the pairing of Glenn Phillips and Kumar Sangakkara quiet for the first four overs before Sangakkara plundered 24 from the fifth over from Hilfenhaus. A tight sixth over meant the Tallawahs only scored 43 for 1 off their Powerplay.

Tallawahs reached 157 for 5, thanks largely to Sangakkara, whose steady 69 off 55 balls anchored the innings before Rovman Powell's explosive 43 off 26 balls provided the late acceleration, including consecutive sixes in the last over.